Ten Tors 2018

After months of training and hundreds of miles under their belts the Falmouth School Ten Tors Teams completed their challenges this past Sunday. There were two teams representing the school across the weekend, with the 35 mile team consisting of Year 10 students Lou Symons, Ali Tuttiet, Lauren Horton, Rosie Evans, Ethan Murray and Rory O’Conaill. They were joined by the 55 mile team made up of Falmouth College students Rob Brown, Theo Fleming, Isaac Hayes, Thomas Bick, Kiran Partington-Nash and Zack Amos.

On arriving at the Okehampton Army Camp the team’s kit was rigorously checked by the events scrutinisers and once passed the team were then invited into the safety briefing. With their kit all checked it was time to plan their routes, taking into consideration the areas they needed to avoid such as rare bird nesting areas, rivers and roads. As Falmouth students prepared, there was even time to give an interview for BBC Spotlight which made the television broadcast.

At 5am on Saturday morning the campsite rang out the tune of Chariots of fire which is the official wake up call. While the teams made their final kit and route checks, the dedicated management team were preparing a hearty breakfast for all the students and also the parents, who made the trip to see their children start the gruelling challenge.

At 7am the cannon was fired and the bugle sounded to signal the start of their 35 & 55 mile challenges. With a host of interest from the National Press and a flurry of support from back home, the Falmouth School Teams were cheered over the finish line on Sunday by staff, parents, and other family members who made the trip to Dartmoor. Excellent teamwork was shown throughout, with some members of the 55 mile team sharing the carrying of gear to ensure everyone got over the line as quickly and safely as possible.

Mark Philpott Falmouth School Outdoor Education Lead;

“I am delighted with these twelve pupils, it’s an amazing achievement. They have been dedicated all year to Ten Tors training and this weekend has exemplified their great team spirit and drive to succeed in challenging circumstances. Well done to them all. A big thanks to Chris Mayer, MC Sports, OTS, Falmouth Fire Station, Dracaena Centre, Hawkshead Falmouth and the parents of all students for supporting the teams during training and the event.”

The Ten Tors is a selective team event and has to have a high level of commitment from all team members which is only available to a final team of 6 students carrying up to 13.6kg of tents, bedding, food, water, clothing and equipment.

The Challenge is limited to 2,400 individuals (four hundred teams of six teenagers). The teams, depending on age, face hikes of 35, 45 or 55 miles (56, 72 or 88km) over the rough terrain of Dartmoor, visiting ten nominated tors / check points in under two days. The teams must be self-sufficient, carrying all that they need to complete their route and stay out overnight safely. The weather can be very changeable and at times quite extreme, and success or failure can depend very much on the extent to which a team has been trained for all eventualities.